Description
Object description
British officer served with 7th Bn Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt, 54th Bde, 18th (Eastern) Div on Western Front, 7/1916-9/1916 including award of Victoria Cross for actions during attack on Thiepval, France, 9/1916; served with Movement Control Section, Royal Engineers in GB, 1939-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as officer with 7th (Service) Bn Bedfordshire Regt, 54th Bde, 18th (Eastern) Div on Western Front, 7/1916-9/1916: prior employment as civilian teacher and service with 4th Bn Hampshire Regt; preconceptions of war; question of immunity to lice; prior hand grenade training; relations with other ranks; value of experience as NCO; conditions and climate.
REEL 2 Continues: personal morale; rations; periods in front line; story of narrow escape during hand grenade training; recreational activities; death of mother; leave in GB; opinion of officers; opinion of Winston Churchill.
REEL 3 Continues: success of special integrated artillery and mortar barrage; patrol in No Man's Land; story illustrating random nature of casualties. Recollections of operations as officer with 7th (Service) Bn Bedfordshire Regt, 54th Bde, 18th (Eastern) Div during attacks in Thiepval sector, Somme, France, 27/9/1916-28/9/1916 for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross: situation; hold up in No Man's Land and decision to continue attack; use of captured German hand grenades; capture of objective and establishment of advance post towards Schwaben Redoubt.
REEL 4 Continues: personal morale prior to attack; story of being wounded during attack on Schwaben Redoubt, 28/9/1916; story of soldier attempting to shoot wounded German; drunken German prisoner of war; personal morale; reaction to news of award of Victoria Cross. Reflections on military service, 1914-1918: cancellation of Far East posting and Armistice Day celebrations, 11/11/1918; padres; confidence in victory.
REEL 5 Continues: story illustrating personal character; opinion of war. Aspects of period as officer with Movement Control Section, Royal Engineers in GB, 1939-1945: role identifying casualties amongst refugees aboard torpedoed ship; story illustrating impact of Victoria Cross; status as civilian teacher.